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Alternative Name
N/A

Basic Info

The Thai is a wonderful choice in a cat for any fancier. It’s calm temperament makes it well suited for multiple environments, be it apartment living or a country setting. They are patient with children and calm enough to make good pets for seniors as well. The Thai is similar to the Siamese, yet its appearance is much rounder and it has a more moderate body and head. The Thai is a medium sized cat weighing 11-15 pounds for males, and 8-12 pounds for females at maturity. The accepted colors are also similar to the Siamese, being blue, chocolate, lilac and seal point colors. Point refers to the areas of the tail, paws, face and ears. The Thai kitten will be born almost entirely white, with its points developing as it matures. This cat is muscular and athletic. Its dazzling blue eyes add an extra sparkle to this already handsome breed. They are a healthy breed and typically live 15-20 years. It is not rare to find a Thai cat over 20 years of age.

Health

Thai’s can be prone to cross-eyes and kinked tails, but these are merely physical problems and do not detract from their health. These cat’s require little grooming and keep themselves very clean, with little maintenance on the part of the owners.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Thai is a wonderful choice in a cat for any fancier. It’s calm temperament makes it well suited for multiple environments, be it apartment living or a country setting. They are patient with children and calm enough to make good pets for seniors as well. The Thai, also known as the ‘Traditional Siamese’ or the ‘Applehead Siamese’ is an intelligent cat who takes pleasure from resting in your lap as equally as playing with a favorite toy. Because they are so intelligent, training can be tricky. Some are very open to training and will learn after the first ‘no’ that they must cease and desist whatever it is they are doing, and they will not repeat it. Others, however, may have a more playful nature and will ‘test’ their owners by trying things they know are forbidden when they have the first opportunity to do so. This is usually the first moment after their owner’s backs are turned. These cats thrive on the attention of people and are not shy to ask for it, even from people they do not know, but because they are so intelligent they also like to do things we sometimes wish they would not do. They get along well with other cats and dogs, particularly if the Thai is raised with them. Like most cats, having a second cat companion is a wonderful idea. But the second cat can not be a replacement for human companionship and it should never be used as a substitute. The Thai like the Siamese, can be a very vocal cat who likes to let its owner know exactly what is on his mind, though some rarely ‘talk’. Their voices can be similar to the Siamese, while others have soft gentle meows.

Origin

Thailand

History

This breed is overly common and it is not widely recognized as a distinct breed. In a lot of registries they are registered as Siamese, however, there are many people who own Thai’s that do not register them. For these reasons, exact numbers may not be known. Similarly, some Thai’s may be advertised that have not maintained the pure lines. As one of the oldest breeds of domestic cats, the Thai maintains the look of the ancient Siamese, much as it was when it was first introduced from Siam centuries ago. The Thai is a descendant of this original breed.

Common Foods

cat food, milk

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Alternative Name
N/A

Basic Info

The Toyger is a breed of striped domestic cat. The Toyger is descended from Bengal cat stock crossed with domestic cats. The aim of this cross was to produce a striped ‘toy tiger’. It was recognised for ‘Registration only’ by The International Cat Association in the early 1990s. There are several breeders in the United States and one breeder in the UK working to develop the breed The Toyger is a designer cat. It is designed and bred with the demands of modern apartment life as a human companion foremost in mind. Glittered, pelted, dramatic pattern appeals to both the high-tech glamour and nature-loving, wild dreams of city-caught people while the laid back, easily trained character of these cats make them a joy to live with.

Health

Certainly general health and longevity must be of top concern to breeders and pet owners alike. Toygers are generally robust and healthy. Although it is too early in the breed to see much difference from most domestics, active lifespan seems to be similar to most random breds at about 10 to 15 years with several of the few retired early TGs born in the last ’80s still going strong.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

Loving, intellegent, laid-back but active and alert. Highly trainable. Gets along well with other animals and children. Some lines like other cats better than other lines at this time. Some lines are noisy at this time.

Origin

United States

History

The Toyger is a breed in development. Recognized by TICA for Registration Only early in the 1990’s, Preliminary New Breed in 2000 and lovely even now, the goals for the breed are long term and the prospect even more exciting! Several of the features proposed have never before been recognized as possible in a domestic cat. Progress is slow but steady in all areas from companionability to appearance. The Toyger will be showing in its new TICA status of Advanced New Breed May 2006.

Common Foods

cat food, milk

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Alternative Name
Scientific Name: Abystoma macrodactylum

Basic Info

The Western Long Toed Salamander has a slender body and can grow to between 4 and 6 inches in length. Western Long Toed Salamanders have a unique stripe along their backs that varies between shades of yellow and green. This stripe runs from the head to the tail tip, and it has very uneven or jagged edges. Older Western Long Toed Salamanders usually have more faded stripes than do young animals. The stripe continues up to the head, where it breaks up into spots. The background color of this salamander is dark brown or black. Some Western Long Toed Salamanders often have many silver or white spots on the sides of their bodies and down over their feet. The belly is a sooty or dark brown color. There are usually 12 or 13 costal grooves on the Western Long Toed Salamander. True to its name, this salamander has long toes. The snouts of Western Long Toed Salamanders are blunt, and males have limbs and tails that are noticeably longer than those of females.

Health

Breeding Usually, Western Long Toed Salamanders breed between January and June. Generally, breeding season is determined more by latitude than by temperature. Western Long Toed Salamanders engage in amplexus and then lay their eggs on submerged vegetation. They may lay the eggs in clusters or singles. The single eggs are generally found closer to the surface, while clusters may be in the deepest area of the water in a protected area such as the underside of a log. Usually, the eggs hatch in about three weeks, and the Western Long Toed Salamanders will generally remain in the larval state until the summer after they were hatched.

Habitat

Western Long Toed Salamanders are found in a variety of habitats, from scrubland to mountain forests. Usually, they live between sea level and 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) in elevation.

Behavior

The Western Long Toed Salamander is one of many subspecies of Long Toed Salamanders. Western Long Toed Salamanders can be distinguished from others by their distinctive coloration. These animals, though rarely seen due to their nocturnal habitats, can be fascinating to observe in the wild. Western Long Toed Salamanders are nocturnal. During the day, they can sometimes be found under rocks, logs, or leaves. Some hide underground during the day, and almost all are found near water. At night, they hunt for small invertebrates, usually insects or worms. Western Long Toed Salamanders commonly remain close to the pool they were hatched in, though some may be found further away. Western Long Toed Salamanders are rarely seen in the wild, and they may be easiest to see when they are migrating toward breeding ponds. Juvenile Western Long Toed Salamanders are also sometimes seen when they are looking for an area in which to over-winter.

Origin

North America

History

The Western Long Toed Salamander usually lives in the Pacific Northwest regions of the United States. It is most often found from western Washington and Oregon to Vancouver Island. In some parts of Canada, the Long Toed Salamander may be considered at risk for endangerment. This is because its range is so limited, and where it is found, populations tend to be isolated or patchy.

Common Foods

feeds primarily on insects, earthworms, small rodents, small animals.

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Alternative Name
Indian Star Tortoise Scientific Name: Geochelone elegans

Basic Info

It is very obvious where the Star Tortoise gets its name. The carapace of a Star Tortoise is grayish brown and sometimes almost black in color with a golden brown star pattern on their Carapace plates. Hatchling Star Tortoises are very small, measuring only slightly over an inch in length. The entire carapace of a hatchling is very smooth, but at about one year old their carapace plates will begin to pyramid and continue to develop in this way as they approach adulthood. Star Tortoise hatchlings also grow at an extremely quick rate and will be about one third longer than what they were as hatchlings after only six months. An adult Star Tortoises shell is high-domed and slightly elongated. The females are typically larger than the males with broader shells and an adult length of about 10 inches, while the males generally have smoother carapaces and reach a length of generally no longer than 6 inches.

Health

The Star Tortoise should be housed outdoors where weather permits. A shallow dish put into the ground with a shallow amount of water should also be kept in the pen so that the tortoise can occasionally soak itself and drink. Star Tortoises should have a daytime temperature gradient from 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the warmest area to about 80 degrees at the cooler area. At night the temperature should be in the low to mid 70s. They should have hide boxes in both the warm and cooler areas. Indian Star Tortoises should be fed a diet of grasses and dark leafy green vegetables. A phosphorous free calcium supplement on their food daily and use a reptile multivitamins weekly is recommended to keep your tortoise in good health. Breeding The Star Tortoises breeding season is from June to October. The female will find a site and dig a nest to lay her eggs in. She may lay 8 or 9 clutches a year, and each clutch generally contains 5 to 7 eggs. If incubated at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the eggs will usually hatch between 100 and 110 days.

Habitat

The star pattern on their shells blends in and camouflages thems in the high grass.

Behavior

The Indian Star Tortoise is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful tortoises in the world. If you have had experience with owning a Tortoise before then perhaps you should consider the Indian Star Tortoise. It is one of the higher maintenance Tortoises, but it is also one of the most beautiful. People who have owned a tortoise can tell you how much fun they are to own and with a particularly attractive one like the Star Tortoise it is not hard to find those eager to try and raise one. One thing to keep in mind though is that, if you are looking into the possible ownership of a Star Tortoise you are also looking into accepting a huge responsibility. In the wild the Star Tortoise is typically found in high grassy jungles and lowland dry forests.

Origin

India

History

The Star Tortoise is a native of Ceylon as well as central and southern India.

Common Foods

The Star Tortoise is completely herbivorous.

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Alternative Name
Tracajá Turtle, Sideneck Turtle, Yellow Spotted River Turtle, Amazon River Turtle, Taricaya Scientific Name: Podocnemis unifilis

Basic Info

An immensely large turtle, the Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle averages between 14 and 27 inches in carapace length. The olive green, brown, or gray carapace is a very high carapace with a raised ridge, known as a keel, in the middle. The plastron, or underside of the shell, is usually yellow and may have dark blotches. The Amazon River Turtle’s head is quite long with an obvious snout. The head is marked with yellow spots on the gray, olive, or brown skin. Most Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtles have a barb on the chin and some specimens have two such barbs. Female Amazon River Turtles are much larger than males. The shell of both males and females has a groove next to the front leg, between the two halves of the shell, into which the turtle places its head when threatened.

Health

Breeding Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtles have a mating season that lasts several months. The mating season depends on the region in which the turtle lives. When courting, the male turtle nips at the female’s feet, swims around her and curls his tail around her shell. He then injects semen from his cloaca into hers. Several weeks after copulation, the female Amazon River Turtle lays a clutch of between 15 and 25 eggs in a nest. The babies hatch after about two months of incubation into hatchlings about the size of a quarter. The hatchling turtles have very vibrant yellow markings and are preyed upon by many types of animals. The sex of the babies depends on the temperature of incubation; if incubated at temperatures below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, males will result, if above 92 degrees, the progeny will be female.

Habitat

Generally found in the lagoons and backwaters of South America

Behavior

The Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle is sometimes known as the Sideneck Turtle, Yellow-Spotted River Turtle, Amazon River Turtle, or Tracaja Turtle. They are found in the Amazon rainforest and are quite large. They are rarely kept in captivity because they are highly threatened in the wild. The Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle is generally found in the lagoons and backwaters of South America. During the mating season, they will move to rivers and streams. They are aquatic animals, meaning they very rarely venture onto land, and they usually feed on aquatic vegetation. The Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle enjoys spending time basking in the sun. If their basking spot is threatened by other turtles, they will bite and nip, though usually the confrontation is not serious. Yellow-Spotted Turtles are highly vulnerable to predators because they are side-necked turtles. This means that, instead of pulling their head and neck into the shell as other turtles do, they tuck the head and neck sideways under the edge of their shell.

Origin

South America

History

While once quite common, the Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle is rapidly decreasing in numbers in the wild. They are found in swamps and tributaries along the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America, including Venezuela, northern Brazil, and Surinam. Although the huge sizes of their native habitats are capable of supporting large numbers of turtles, they are regularly hunted not only for food, but also for their shells, their eggs, and oil. They are also dying out because the water levels of their homes are rising because of river navigation and hydroelectric dams. The Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle is sometimes called the Taricaya. This name is related to the kechwa verb “tariy”, meaning “to find”. Perhaps this name was chosen because these turtles were very abundandt in the past.

Common Foods

The Yellow-Spotted River Turtle feeds primarily on fruits and vegetables, although they are omnivorous in captivity.

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Alternative Name
Green Watersnake, Mississippi Green Watersnake Scientific Name: Nerodia cyclopion

Basic Info

At maturity, the Mississippi Green Watersnake reaches a length ranging between 35 and 40 inches. Predominantly dark green or brown, the Mississippi Green Watersnake has keeled scales and a divided anal plate. The color is darkly blotched and is accented by 50 black bands, which are very difficult to discern. The underside is pale, being yellowish, but toward the posterior end, the color darkens to brown or gray. Pale yellow or dirty-white spots, often in the shape of a half-circle, are present. The eye of the Mississippi Green Watersnake is separated from the upper labial scales by a single row of subocular scales. At the middle of the moderately thick body, Mississippi Green Watersnakes have about 28 rows of scales. The pupils of the Mississippi Green Watersnake are round.

Health

The Mississippi Green Water Snake should be housed in an enclosure that is maintained between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The enclosure should have land and water sections. Gravel and flat stones make a nice substrate. A bowl can be put in the enclosure to provide water, but be sure to clean it regularly as this is where the snake will spend most of its time. The Mississippi Green Water Snake is usually not aggressive towards people, but it may show aggression towards other snakes. If you choose to house them with other snakes make sure that you provide plenty of feeder fish for all of the snakes, or the most dominant snake will usually get most of the food. Enclosures should be cleaned at least once a week and any uneaten/killed food should be removed. Breeding Mississippi Green Watersnakes generally mate in the month of May and will give birth to live young. In July or August, between 10 and 20 young snakes are born. They are about 26 centimeters in length and their speckled markings are extremely well defined.

Habitat

Found commonly in flooded areas like secluded cypress swamps and woodland sloughs, the Mississippi Green Watersnake is quite harmless. Generally, they prefer quiet, calm areas of fairly still waters.

Behavior

Mississippi Green Watersnakes, a threatened species, generally keep to themselves. These lovely snakes appear unassuming and are not poisonous, but sadly, they are often mistaken for venomous Cottonmouths and killed. They will bite when they feel threatened, but are not poisonous. They are becoming increasingly difficult to find and are listed as threatened in some areas. Often they are destroyed by people who mistake them for the poisonous Cottonmouth, and their quiet habitats are being destroyed in addition to the aquatic vegetation eaten by their prey.

Origin

United States

History

Mississippi Green Watersnakes make their homes in the quiet, flooded woodlands and swamps of the southeastern United States.

Common Foods

These Watersnakes subsist on fish, but will also eat amphibians when the opportunity arises. They are, however, preyed upon by the larger species of shore birds and by other snakes.

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Alternative Name
Binomial name Arapaima gigas

Basic Info

The Arapaima (Arapaima gigas), also known as the Piracucu, Pirarucu, or Paiche, is one of the world’s largest freshwater fish. The species is reported to reach lengths in excess of 3 m (9.8 ft.) and weigh up to 200 kg (440 lb), although these reports have been disputed. As one of the most sought after fish species in South America, it is often captured by spearing for export, and, consequently, large Arapaima of more than 2 m are seldom found today.

Health

The diet of A. gigas consists of other fish or even small animals, including birds. This fish is able to survive extensive drought periods by gulping air and burrowing in the mud or sand of the swamps. Due to the geographic range that A. gigas inhabits, the animal’s life cycle is greatly affected by the seasonal flooding that occurs. Half of the year the pirarucu experiences an abundance of water, which is a benefit to these aquatic organisms; however, the other half of the year the pirarucu experiences drought conditions. The pirarucu has adapted to this great fluctuation in many aspects of its life, including reproduction. A. gigas lays its eggs during the months of February, March, and April when the water levels are low. They build a nest approximately 50 cm wide and 15 cm deep, usually in sandy bottomed areas. As the water rises the eggs hatch and the offspring have the flood season to prosper, during the months of May to August. Therefore, the yearly spawning is regulated seasonally. A. gigas is a mouthbrooder.

Habitat

Fresh water fish

Behavior

A. gigas is hunted and utilized in many ways by local human populations. Pirarucu are harpooned or caught in large nets and the meat is said to be delicious. Since the Arapaima needs to swim up to breathe air, traditional Arapaima fishers often catch them by first clubbing them and then harpooning them dead. One individual can yield seventy kilograms of meat. In addition, the pirarucu’s bony tongue is often used to scrape cylinders of dried guarana, an ingredient in a beverage, and the bony scales are used as nail files. This animal also appears in the pet trade, although to keep a pirarucu correctly requires a large tank and can prove quite difficult.

Origin

Colombia

History

The Arapaima has also been introduced for fishing in Thailand and Malaysia. It is also considered an aquarium fish, although it obviously requires a large tank and ample resources.

Common Foods

Young Silver Arowanas should not be overfed, because according to some hobbyists, they can develop dropeye, a condition in which the eyes are turned downward, as they grow. Arowanas should be offered meaty foods such as insects, shrimp, fish, beef heart, etc…